West Wing actor Timothy Busfield faces child sex abuse charges as police issue arrest warrant
Topics: Sexual Abuse, Film and TV, Celebrity, Police, News, US News
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
Topics: Sexual Abuse, Film and TV, Celebrity, Police, News, US News
Warning: This article contains allegations of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant for director and Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield, who is accused of child sex abuse.
An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department filed a criminal complaint in support of the charge on Friday (January 9), which says a child reported that Busfield, who is known for appearances in The West Wing, Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething, touched him inappropriately.
The acts allegedly occurred on the set of The Cleaning Lady, a TV series that Busfield directed and acted in. The show ran for four seasons before Fox announced its cancelation in June 2025.
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As well as one count of child abuse, the 68-year-old is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.
The case is believed to have begun in 2024 when Dr Tyler Christensen of the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) called for a sexual abuse investigation, the arrest warrant explains.
An officer then went to speak to the boys' parents. They told law enforcement that Busfield, who directed some of the episodes of The Cleaning Lady as well as starred in it, said to the boys that they should call him 'Uncle Tim'.
After taking the two boys to UNMH, staff advised that they had been groomed.
The affidavit stated: "The boys advised that Timothy Busfield, whom they referred to as 'Uncle Tim', would tickle them on the stomach and legs. Neither boy cared for the tickling.
"Officer Osborn contacted Detective Michael Brown with the Crimes Against Children Unit and determined that the case did not meet their acceptance criteria at this time."
However, in 2025, the boys' mother told Child Protective Services that her sons had disclosed to her that 'there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024'.
One of the boys reportedly opened up to his therapist about the alleged abuse and he was diagnosed with moderate post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following the claims of 'inappropriate touching'.
When Busfield was approached by police, he suggested that the parents were upset with him for replacing their sons on The Cleaning Lady.
He was asked if he'd 'tickled or picked up' the boys, to which Busfield said it was 'highly likely that he would have'.
The warrant continued: "Timothy said it was a playful environment, like he wanted. However, Timothy said that the dad, Ronald, would make SL and VL hug him, and he didn't really want them to. did ask Timothy what the protocol was for touching children and picking them up and touching them? I also asked if that was allowed?
"Timothy initially said, 'It's not allowed at all. There is no, there's no protocol. I mean, I'm always around people, right? Uh, uh, uh, it would be, it would be, you know, in front of the pares. There would never be a weird moment about it. I don't really remember picking those boys up. Uh, I remember picking up the boy who followed them. I'd pick him up, and he'd be giggling, and that would sort of get him ready to act.'
"Timothy then stated, 'I don't remember those boys. No, I don't, I don't actually, I don't remember it if it happened, I don't remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn't be uncommon for me.'"
Warner Bros., the primary producer of The Cleaning Lady, has issued a statement to UNILAD on the matter. It read: "The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action.
"We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement."
UNILAD has also approached Busfield for comment.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.